Cane stripper



May 10,1927.

J. s. WARREN ANE STRIPPER F iled May 18. 1926 awocm boa Patented May 10,1927.

UNITED STATES 1,628,087 PATENT orrica JOHN S. WARREN, 01? SUN,MISSISSIPPI.

CANE s'rairrna.

[moving the stripper downward along the.

same, and it is myspecilic purpose to provide yieldable means connectingsaid knives or cutters so that they may readily be cngaged with a stalkand as readily removed therefrom when the strippmg operation has beencompleted; also, to provide means to limit separation of said knives orcutters with respect to one another as well as to limit movement of thesame in the direction of a stalk with which they are being engaged,whereby the possibility of wrongly engaging the stripper with a stalksubstantially is eliminated, and further, to provide means in the formof a pair of diverging fingers to guide the knives or cutters intoengagement with a stalk, together with means to eliminate substantiallyany interference of said fingers with short leaves or other growthsclose to a stalk during stripping of the longer leaves from the latter.

VVit-h the foregoing and other purposes in view, my invention consistsin the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and defined in the a ended claim.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in the diiferent views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a cane stripper embodying the novel andessential features of my invention;

Fig. 2, an elevation of my stripper showing the normal position of theknives or cutters thereof in dotted lines and showing an operativeposition of said knives or cutters in full lines;

Fig. 3, an elevation at right angles to Fig. 2;

Fig. 4;, a transverse section on the line 4.-4t of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5, a transverse section on the line 5*5 of Fig. 3.

I Application filed May 18,1926. Serial No.109,886.

By reference to the drawings it will be observed that my improvedstripper is formed from a single strip of sheet metal, steel forexample, of any desired length, width and thickness, said strip beingbent upon itself intermediate its ends to provide a pair of arms'ilO and12 and a resilient ring 14. connectingadjacent ends of said arms wherebythe latter are urged normally apart 7 as shown by full and dotted linesin Figures 1 and 2, respectively.

Each arm 10 and 12 includes a straight portion which extends from ring141 a suitable distance to provide a handle for manipulating thestripper. said arms to this end either being pressed or otherwise curveil transversely outwardly as best shown in Fig. or provided with faeingsof wood or other material in a well known manner to increase theirthickness and thus provide suitable hand grips.

The straight handle or hand grip portions of the arms 10 and 12terminate remote from ring 1 1 in outwardly curved knife or cutterportions 16 and 18, respectively, each of which is sharpened along bothof its edges as clearly and best shown in Figures 1, 3 and 1 of thedrawings, said portions 16 and 18, in turn, terminating remote fromhandle portions 10 and 12 in short straight portions 20, 22respectively, which latter portions finally terminate in fingers 24, 26,respectively, which are outwardly directed, or, in other words flaredwith respect to one another to provide guides to facilitate engagementof the knife portions upon a stalk when the stripper is movedlongitudinally in the direction of the stalk as is obvious.

A bolt or pin 28 is secured'rigidly at one end to the straight portionof one of the arms 10 or 12 adjacent to portion 16 or 18 as the case maybe and an opening is formed in the other of said arms through which saidbolt or pins is loosely engaged whereby the arms may be moved freelyinwardly and outwardly with respect to one another and whereby a stop isformed between the arms 10 and 12 for engagement with a stalk duringapplication of the stripper thereto to facilitate proper positioning ofthe knife or cutter portions 16, 18 of the stripper upon the stalk, saidbolt or pin furthermore serving to maintain the arms 10, 12 againstedgewise movement with respect to one another out of a common plane, andbeing provided at its free end with a head 30 whereby the permissibleamount of relative separating movement of said arms also is limited.

The manner of using my improved stripper is apparent and as follows: lhestraight portions of arms .10. 1.2 constituting the han dle oli saidstripper are loosely grasped in the hand oil the operator and the deriveis moved longitmlinally towards the/ stalk to be stripped, the fingers 2L, eontaeting with the stalk and guiding the latter into the spacebetween the knite or eutter portions to. 18. holt or pin 2b aeting asstop as ato]'ementioned to prevent the stripper being moved onto a stalkheyond said knife or cutter portions. Arms 10, then are pressed togetheruntil the knife or cutter portions 16. 18 are hrought against oppositeside portions ot the stalk to he Si'l'll'lljtth atter which the stripperis moved longitudinally along the stalk with a swwping stroke to eausethe knives or cutters to shear the leaves therefrom.

By sharpening hoth edges of eaeh ot the portions 16. 18 eare need not heexereised in selecting which sides ot the stripper are disposeduppermost and lowermost and hy providing the straight portions 2th 522between the curved portions 16 '18 and the lingers 2st, 26 the latteareeaused to he disposed more or less remote from a stalk with which thestripper is engaged so as not to interfere with short leaves and othergrowths on the stalk during: cutting movement of the stripper along thelatter. Obviously. it desired, resilient ring 14 may he arranged tomaintain the arms 10, 12 normally at their limit of movement towards oneanother. or at a position intermediate their limits of relative inwardand outward movement, instead of as shown maintaining said arms normallyseparated at their limit of relative outward nnwement. as in the handsof some operators it may he found that more rapid stripping may heetleeted it the ring arranged to function in one of the alternativemanners mentioned.

From the tlioregoing deseription (-(msidered. inv connection with theaeeoinpanyi11g drawings it helieved that the eonstruetnm. operation andadvantages of my improved stripper will he 'l'reeh' understood. I desireto point out. lHHYtYtl. that minor ehanges and desirahle additions mayhe made in and to the stripper shown within the spirit and seope of myinvention as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A cane stripper eonnirising a pair o't arms each including a handleportion. a kni'te or eutter portion and a linger tor direeting thestripper into operative engagement with a stalk to he stripped.'vieldahle means (:onneeting said arms together, said means permittingsaid arms to move towards and away l'rom one another and also to more ina direction at right angles to their direetion. ol movement towards andaway from one another. and a pin or holt secured rigidly to one of saidarms and engaged loosely through an opening in the other of said arms.to hold said arms against movement in a direction at rigl'lt angles totheir direetion oi" movement towards and away from one another. said pinheing located adjacent. to the knife or cutter portions of said armswhere by it serves as a stop to limit engaging movement ot the stripperupon a stalk.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

JOHN S. WitBREN.

